Bottle shipping packaging

ABSTRACT

Packaging systems for shipping bottles of varying sizes are disclosed. In embodiments, the packaging system includes a top packaging piece and bottom packaging piece, each formed as a molded piece. The top packaging piece includes a plurality of tapered cavities, each sized to receive the neck of one of the bottles. The bottom packaging piece includes a corresponding plurality of tapered cavities, each sized to receive the bottom of one of the bottles. The center packaging piece is formed from a single sheet of flat material such as cardboard, and is folded in upon itself to form a spacer between the top and bottom packaging pieces. The center packaging piece includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to the cavities in the top and bottom packaging pieces to pass through each bottle from the top to bottom packaging pieces.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Disclosed embodiments are generally related to packaging for shipping purposes. Specifically, packaging systems for shipping glass bottles, e.g., bottles of varying sizes for wine or another type of beverage, are disclosed.

BACKGROUND

Shipping goods, regardless of whether the method of transport is via U.S. Mail, FedEx, UPS, a private or local courier, or even personally transporting purchased goods, presents a high likelihood that the goods will be subject to impact and/or shock, despite reasonable care being taken during transport. Depending on the severity of the impact or shock and the nature of the goods, damage may result. For example, goods at least partially made from glass may fracture or shatter if subjected to a sufficiently severe impact, resulting in loss of product. Other damage, such as denting the capsule (the hood on top of the bottle neck that covers the cork or stopper, found on most wine bottles) or scuffing of the bottle label, while cosmetic in nature may render the product difficult to sell, and so is also undesirable. To guard against damage in the likely event of a shock, shock-absorbent packaging materials are typically employed to protect the goods and reduce or minimize any impact or shock.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To facilitate this description, like reference numerals designate like structural elements. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of an example packaging system, illustrating its components, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2A depicts a perspective view of the example packaging system depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 2B depicts an end elevation view of the example packaging system depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts various views of a first example top packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts various views of an example bottom packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 5 depicts various views of a first example center packaging piece in a folded configuration that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 6 depicts a top elevation view of the center packaging piece depicted in FIG. 5 in an unfolded configuration, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 7 depicts various views of a second example center packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 8 depicts various views of a third example center packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 9 depicts various views of a fourth example center packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 10 depicts various views of a fifth example center packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 11 depicts various views of a second example top packaging piece that may be used with the example packaging depicted in FIG. 1, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that like elements disclosed below are indicated by like reference numbers in the drawings.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The description may use the phrases “in an embodiment,” or “in embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

Bottles are typically damaged in transport when subjected to an impact or handled roughly. If a bottle is allowed too much freedom of movement in an enclosing container and/or the enclosing container allows force from an impact or shock to be transmitted to the enclosed bottles, damage may occur. The damage may result from the impact force causing direct damage to the bottle. Alternatively or additionally, the bottle may be damaged from coming into contact with adjacent bottles also enclosed in the package, which may result from an impact or from rough handling that allows the bottle to build up sufficient momentum, particularly where the packaging does not sufficiently constrain the bottle's range of movement. For effective protection of a glass bottle, then, the packaging holds the bottle within a constrained area, not allowing the bottle to move enough to impact other bottles. The packaging can also be configured to absorb the force of impacts, such as with structures that are designed to sacrificially deform and absorb at least enough impact energy to prevent bottle damage.

Glass bottles for containing liquids come in a variety of sizes and configurations. For example, the shape of a wine bottle of a typical size, e.g. 750 ml, will often vary, reflective of the region from which the wine originates, the type of wine, trade dress considerations of a wine maker, and/or other considerations. Where multiple units of a single bottle type are to be shipped, packaging can be designed to specifically fit the shape of the chosen bottle type. In contrast, where multiple units of differing bottle types are to be shipped in a single container, the packaging must be designed to accommodate the various possible bottle designs that may be placed within the packaging, and still hold each bottle securely, without excessive movement.

Simultaneously accommodating a plurality of bottles of potentially varying lengths and profiles may be accomplished by using multiple packaging pieces. In one possible implementation, the packaging may include a piece configured to surround the bottom of each bottle, and a piece configured to surround the top of each bottle. The bottom and top of each bottle is respectively inserted into each piece. For a given bottle size, e.g. 750 ml, a wider diameter bottle will typically have a shorter length. By configuring the bottom, top or both pieces with tapered portions that narrow or constrict moving away from the bottle, bottles of varying diameters can be snugly supported by the packaging. A wider diameter bottle, being shorter, will sit higher in the bottom piece due to the taper, while a narrower but taller bottle will sit lower. As a result bottles of varying sizes and/or configurations (albeit typically of approximately equal volume) may be inserted and supported by the packaging, and sit at a height that still prevents excessive movement.

In addition to top and bottom packaging pieces, a center packaging piece or space may be fitted around and between the bottles, between the top and bottom packaging pieces, which can provide support. Without a center packaging piece, the top and bottom packaging pieces may not be in contact, but instead be spaced apart by the inserted bottles. In such a configuration, a load placed on either the top or bottom piece parallel to the longitudinal axis of each bottle will cause the load to compress, shift, or possibly collapse the packaging. Consequently, the load could be transferred to one or more of the bottles, further imposing stress on each bottle that could lead to damage or breakage. The center packaging piece, contacting the top and bottom pieces, can instead act to transfer load between the top and bottom pieces, substantially relieving any load from the bottles, and in some embodiments, absorb at least some of the load. Moreover, a center packaging piece can allow the packaging to still be employed with only one or a few bottles, where the packaging may have empty bottle slots that would otherwise negate the packaging effectiveness without a center packaging piece. Still further, the center packaging piece can aid in restricting bottle movement to prevent bottle to bottle contact, particularly where the top and/or bottom packaging pieces would otherwise permit excessive movement.

In addition to the top and bottom packaging pieces, packaging for containing and shipping bottles typically will include at least a box sized to snugly or closely fit the packaging pieces and bottles contained therein. The boxes can be stored unfolded in a substantially flat configuration, allowing many boxes to be stored in a relatively small amount of space. The top and bottom packaging pieces are typically reminiscent of a large egg carton, with multiple rows of cups to accept either the top and neck, or bottom of each bottle, respectively. In contrast to the boxes, which are typically die-cut cardboard, the various packaging pieces are typically formed by molding materials into three-dimensional structures with a substantial height. The height of these pieces thus consumes considerably more space than the boxes, which can be packed flat. In some configurations, the top and bottom pieces may be able to nest together, saving some space, although even nested a given number of top and bottom packaging pieces will typically consume more space than the same number of boxes. If a molded center packaging piece is also included, additional space is consumed. In some such implementations, the center packaging piece, due to its configuration to fit between and around the bottles, may not be suitable for nesting within the top and bottom pieces. Where the center piece cannot be nested, substantial additional space may be consumed by the packaging.

For a given warehouse, it is generally preferable to maximize the amount of space devoted to product to be sold, and minimize the amount of space required by packaging. Furthermore, as warehouses typically are located some distance from where the packaging is produced, the packaging must be shipped to the warehouse. Shipping costs are often determined by the amount of space consumed or by full truck load (FTL), without regard to the quantity of goods being shipped. Thus, the less space consumed by the shipped goods, the more goods that can be shipped in a given shipment. Reducing the size consumed by a given unit of packaging (comprising the top, center, and bottom packaging pieces) allows more units of packaging to be shipped in a given load, reducing the cost of shipping for each packaging unit.

One approach to minimizing the space consumed by packaging is to reduce the number of molded packaging pieces, such as the top and bottom pieces, in favor of pieces that can be stored in a flattened configuration, such as the boxes. Disclosed embodiments include a packaging configuration that uses a folded center packaging piece that can be stored unfolded as a single sheet, such as a die-cut cardboard sheet. The center packaging piece can further be quickly folded into a configuration for use.

FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B illustrate the components of an example packaging system 100, according to various embodiments. System 100 includes a top packaging piece 102, a bottom packaging piece 104, and a center packaging piece 106. The system 100 can contain a plurality of bottles, such as bottles 108 a, 108 b (generically, bottle 108). As seen in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bottles 108 a and 108 b are enclosed within the packaging, with the top and neck of each bottle 108 inserting into a corresponding cavity 110 in the top packaging piece 102, and the bottom of each bottle inserting into a corresponding cavity 112 in the bottom packaging piece 104. Each bottle passes through center packaging piece 106. When assembled, the packaging system 100 forms a sandwich-like structure that encapsulates each bottle 108, thus holding each bottle 108 securely and restricting possible movement, minimizing the likelihood of damage. The assembled system 100 may be inserted into a box (not shown) that has an internal cavity sized to closely match the exterior dimensions of the system 100.

In the depicted embodiment, packaging system 100 is configured to accept up to twelve bottles. Other embodiments may be configured to accept a greater or fewer number of bottles. Some embodiments may be configured to accept a single bottle. With the presence of center packaging piece 106, packaging system 100 need not be completely filled with bottles to maintain its integrity in shipping. Packaging system 100 may be shipped with anywhere from zero to the maximum number of bottles for which packaging system 100 is configured.

FIG. 3 depicts the various structures and configurations of an example embodiment of top packaging piece 102. View 3A depicts the structures from a top elevation, looking down upon the top packaging piece 102. From this view, the bottles 108 would be beneath the top packaging piece 102. View 3B depicts the structures from a bottom perspective view, with the underside of top packaging piece 102 visible. From this view, bottles 108 would be upside-down if inserted into top packaging piece 102. View 3C depicts the structures from a side elevation view, with a section A-A depicting the arrangement of various shock absorbing structures (described below) that interleave with cavities 110 a-110 f (collectively or generically, cavity 110).

In the example embodiment, top packaging piece 102 is configured to accept twelve bottles 108, and so has twelve cavities 110 (including cavities 110 a-110 f). The cavities 110 are configured in a three by four array, e.g. three rows, each accepting four bottles 108, with the cavities 110 arrayed in a grid pattern. A greater or lesser number of bottles 108 may be accommodated by changing the dimensions, e.g. providing more or fewer rows and/or configuring the rows to accept a greater or fewer number of bottles 108. Examples of other possible configurations will be discussed below with respect to various embodiments of the center packaging piece 106.

Each top packaging piece 102 includes a number of shock absorbing structures. The shock absorbing structures may include corner absorbers 202 a, 202 b, 202 c, and 202 d (collectively or generically, corner absorber 202), center absorbers 204 a and 204 b (collectively or generically, center absorber 204), and edge absorbers 206 a, 206 b, 206 c, and 206 d (collectively or generically, edge absorber 206). It will be observed that not every center absorber 204 or edge absorber 206 is numbered in FIG. 3, although each such structure is identical, regardless of whether numbered. Some embodiments of top packaging piece 102 may include additional types of shock absorbing structures, and/or may omit one or more of the corner absorbers 202, center absorbers 204, and/or edge absorbers 206. The selection, type, number, and layout of the various shock absorbing structures may vary depending upon the needs of a given implementation. An example of one possible alternative embodiment is depicted in FIG. 11, where the corner absorbers are configured differently, with a reduced height.

Top packaging piece 102 defines a plane, from which all absorbers and cavities 110 extend in a common direction. As can be seen in FIG. 1, each bottle 108 inserts through the plane of top packaging piece 102 into a corresponding cavity 110. Top packaging piece 102 may be molded using pulp, e.g. paper fiber, styrofoam, plastic, or another suitable material that meets the requirements of a given implementation, and/or may be manufactured using any suitable technique that meets the requirements of a given implementation. In various embodiments, materials that can deform under stress are selected, to allow the packaging system 100 to sacrificially deform and absorb energy from a shock or impact while minimizing the amount of force or load imparted to bottles 108 contained within packaging system 100.

Each of the cavities 110, corner absorbers 202, center absorbers 204, and edge absorbers 206 is substantially conical in shape, tapering narrower as it protrudes from plane of top packaging piece 102. In the depicted implementation, the end of each cavity 110, most distal from the plane of top packaging piece 102, includes one or more shock absorbing features 208. When enclosing a bottle 108, the neck of bottle 108 will protrude into its cavity 110. Depending upon the configuration of bottle 108, a portion of the neck may meet the sidewall of cavity 110 due to the decreasing radius of cavity 110 and, for some types of bottle 108, the increasing radius of the neck of bottle 108. When so inserted, the top of bottle 108 may not come into contact with the end of cavity 110, with the tapered sidewall serving to limit the movement of bottle 108. The remaining space between the top of bottle 108 and the end of cavity 110 provides a shock absorbing cushion, with the sides of cavity 110 capable of deforming, in various embodiments, to prevent the neck of bottle 108 from receiving a substantial impact. If the taper of cavity 110 and/or of the neck of bottle 108 is insufficient to stop the insertion of bottle 108 prior to reaching the end of cavity 110, shock absorbing feature 208 will nevertheless provide the cushion, deforming to prevent transfer of a substantial shock to the neck of bottle 108. In embodiments, the diameter of each cavity 110, even if the neck of bottle 108 does not contact the sidewall of cavity 110, is still sized to prevent excessive movement of bottle 108, e.g. movement that would allow a portion of bottle 108 to contact an adjacent bottle 108.

In the depicted embodiment (see view 3A), shock absorbing feature 208 is implemented as a series of shelves protruding into the interior of cavity 110. Other embodiments may implement shock absorbing feature 208 as a different structure, or may omit shock absorbing feature 208 altogether, particularly where other shock absorbing features (e.g. 202, 204, 206) provide sufficient protection for the neck of bottle 108.

Top packaging piece 102 may be configured with sufficient depth to receive a portion of the neck of each bottle 108 so as to prevent the possibility that the neck of one bottle 108 is able to come into contact with any portion of any adjoining bottle 108. Such an arrangement may be accomplished in conjunction with the configuration of the bottom packaging piece 104 and/or center packaging piece 106.

Center absorbers 204, in the depicted embodiment, interleave with the various cavities 110. As can be seen, center absorbers 204 are essentially frusto-conical in shape. In addition to potentially absorbing any energy from an impact by deforming, center absorbers 204 help to transfer any load directed down upon package system 100, e.g. applied to the ends of the structures of top packaging piece 102 in the direction of the plane of top packaging piece 102, to the other components of packaging system 100. For example, if the top of a box enclosing packaging system 100 is impacted, the load would be absorbed at least partially by center absorbers 204, which in turn may transfer at least a portion of the absorbed load to center packaging piece 106, and further in turn to bottom packaging piece 104, potentially to any enclosing box. This distribution of load can help increase the amount of impact that can be absorbed beyond what center absorbers 204 alone could receive. The amount of load transferred (if any) may depend upon the degree of impact severity as well as the specific configuration of the center absorbers 204.

Corner absorbers 202 and edge absorbers 206 run around the perimeter of top packaging piece 102, and help to at least partially absorb any loads (by deformation), such as from a lateral impact, that may be applied to the side or top corner of packaging system 100. Such an impact would include an impact vector directed at least partially orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of each bottle 108. Corner absorbers 202 can provide rigidity and stability to the corners of packaging system 100, absorbing at least part of any impact applied to the corner or corner edge of packaging system 100. As with center absorbers 204, corner absorbers 202 transfer load from top packaging piece 102 applied to the top corners of top packaging piece 102 to the other components of packaging system 100. In the depicted embodiment, and similar to center absorbers 204, corner absorbers are roughly frusto-conical in shape, albeit with a smaller radius.

Edge absorbers 206, in addition to providing similar energy absorption via deformation as corner absorbers 202 and center absorbers 204, likewise provide load transfer to the other components of packaging system 100. Each edge absorber may include one or more protrusions or similar features, depicted as slots that face outward from the center of top packaging piece 102. The protrusions can, in some embodiments, help to improve edge rigidity and integrity of packaging system 100. Like corner absorbers 202 and center absorbers 204, in the depicted embodiment, edge absorbers 206 are roughly frusto-conical in shape.

It can also be seen in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 that each of the cavities 110, corner absorbers 202, center absorbers 204, and edge absorbers 206 all terminate distal from the plane of top packaging piece 102 in a second plane. This second plane allows each of the structures to fit closely or abut the surface of any enclosing box or other container, to help minimize any movement of packaging system 100 within the enclosing container, and maximize rigidity of the package.

Turning to FIG. 4 a possible configuration for bottom packaging piece 104 according to one embodiment is depicted. View 4A depicts the structures from a top elevation, looking down upon the bottom packaging piece 104. From this view, the bottles 108 would be sitting within bottom packaging piece 104. View 4B depicts the structures from a top perspective view, revealing some of the side structures of bottom packaging piece 104. View 4C depicts the structures from a side elevation view, with a section A-A depicting the arrangement of various shock absorbing structures (described below) that interleave with cavities 112 a-112 e (collectively or generically, cavity 112).

Each bottom packaging piece 104 includes a number of shock absorbing structures. The shock absorbing structures may include center absorbers 402 a and 402 b (collectively or generically, center absorber 402) and corner absorbers 406 a, 406 b, 406 c, and 406 d (collectively or generically, corner absorber 406). It will be observed that not every center absorber 402 is numbered in FIG. 4, although each such structure is identical, regardless of whether numbered. As with top packaging piece 102, some embodiments of bottom packaging piece 104 may include additional types of shock absorbing structures, and/or may omit one or more of the center absorbers 402 and/or corner absorbers 406. The selection, type, number, and layout of the various shock absorbing structures may vary depending upon the needs of a given implementation, and may, in some embodiments, be configured to correspond to the shock absorbing structures of top packaging piece 102 and/or center packaging piece 106, if any.

Similar to top packaging piece 102, bottom packaging piece 104 defines a plane, from which all absorbers and cavities 112 extend in a common direction. As can be seen in FIG. 1, each bottle 108 inserts through the plane of bottom packaging piece 104 into a corresponding cavity 112. Each of the cavities 112 further terminate distal from the plane around a second plane, which allows the bottom of packaging system 100 to sit substantially flush with the interior wall of any containing box or other container, helping to minimize the movement of packaging system 100 inside the container and aid container rigidity.

Bottom packaging piece 104 may be constructed from the same or similar materials as top packaging piece 102, or may be constructed from different materials, depending upon the needs of a given implementation. As with top packaging piece 102, bottom packaging piece 104 may be molded or formed using pulp, e.g. paper fiber, styrofoam, plastic, or another suitable material that meets the requirements of a given implementation, and/or may be manufactured using any suitable technique that meets the requirements of a given implementation. In various embodiments, materials for bottom packaging piece 104 that can deform under stress are selected, to allow the packaging system 100 to sacrificially deform and absorb energy from a shock or impact while minimizing the amount of force or load imparted to bottles 108 contained within packaging system 100.

Each cavity 112 in the depicted embodiment, similar to cavity 110, is roughly frusto-conical in shape, tapering as it extends away from the plane of bottom packaging piece 104. At the bottom of each cavity 112, proximate to the second plane defined by cavities 112 and the shock absorbers, is formed a plurality of shock absorbing structures 410. Similar to cavity 110, the sidewalls of each cavity 112 are tapered, narrowing in radius distally from the plane of bottom packaging piece 104. This tapering can be seen on section 404, forming a concave edge on each center absorber 402, and on internal sidewall portion 408, formed into the outer perimeter of bottom packaging piece 104. It is best seen in cross-section A-A of view 4C. Where the base of bottle 108 is larger than the diameter of each cavity 112, the taper of the sidewalls will act to limit the distance that bottle 108 can insert into cavity 112. As a result, the neck of such a bottle 108 may protrude further into its corresponding cavity 110 of the top packaging piece 102, depending upon the configuration of the bottle 108. This increased protrusion may help further to limit the movement of bottle 108. As with the neck of each bottle 108 into cavity 110, space between the bottom of cavity 112 and bottle 108 provides a measure of shock protection, as the sidewalls of each cavity 112 can deform in response an impact. Where the base of bottle 108 is small enough to allow bottle 108 to reach the bottom of cavity 112, shock absorbing structures 410 can deform to absorb at least some of any impact, thus at least reducing the load transferred to bottle 108.

In the depicted embodiment, center absorbers 402, in contrast to center absorbers 204 of top packaging piece 102, are essentially formed as the interleaving structures that result from formation of the cavities 112. Center absorbers 402 thus form and define a platform coincident with the plane of bottom packaging piece 104, upon which a portion of center packaging piece 106 can sit. In this configuration, the center absorbers 402 can receive at least a portion of any load or impact imparted upon top packaging piece 102 that is transferred via center packaging piece 106, thus allowing packaging system 100 to be rigid and stackable. Further, as center absorbers 402 may be constructed to be deformable, the transfer of impact or load can be at least partially absorbed by center absorbers 402. As mentioned above, center absorbers 402 include four concave tapered sections 404 that effectively form the edges of each center absorber 402, as well as a portion of the tapered sides of each cavity 112.

Corner absorbers 406, in depicted embodiment and similar to corner absorbers 202 of top packaging piece 102, are formed to the corners of bottom packaging piece 104, and are disposed upon adjacent cavities 112 (e.g. cavities 112 a and 112 c). As can be seen with corner absorbers 406 a and 406 b in view 4B, each corner absorber in the depicted embodiment opens into its adjacent cavity 112. Corner absorbers help add rigidity to bottom packaging piece 104, and further enhance protection for bottles 108 placed into cavities 112 proximate to the edges of packaging system 100 from edge- and corner-directed impacts.

In FIG. 5, an embodiment of a center packaging piece 106 in an assembled configuration is depicted. View 5A depicts the center packaging piece 106 from a top elevation. From this view, the bottles 108 would be passing through the various apertures of center packaging piece 106. View 5B depicts the center packaging piece 106 from a top perspective view, revealing the openings that comprise each aperture. View 5C depicts the center packaging piece 106 from a side elevation view, showing how center packaging piece is constructed in a cross-section. View 5D depicts the center packaging piece 106 from a side elevation view 90 degrees from view 5C.

Center packaging piece 106 includes apertures that correspond in number and layout to cavities 110 on top packaging piece 102 and cavities 112 on bottom packaging piece 104. The center of bottles 108 placed within packaging system 100 thus are passed through center packaging piece 106, as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B. Center packaging piece 106, as discussed above, acts to pass loads between top packaging piece 102 and bottom packaging piece 104, and so is constructed with sufficient rigidity to work in cooperation with the other packaging pieces to provide at least a desired level of protection for bottles 108 contained within packaging system 100. In some embodiments, center packaging piece 106 may be configured to deform or otherwise absorb some or all of a received load, such as from an impact, in addition or alternative to transferring some portion of the load to top packaging piece 102 and/or bottom packaging piece 104.

In some embodiments, center packaging piece 106 is constructed from cardboard, such as corrugated cardboard, fiberboard, or a similar sheet-like material. Other materials may be used depending upon the needs of a given embodiment. The material may be selected with regard to its ability to transfer and/or absorb impacts imparted to either the top packaging piece 102 or bottom packaging piece 104. Center packaging piece 106 may be formed from a sheet material via stamping, die cutting, laser cutting, embossing, and/or any other suitable manufacturing technique.

Each aperture in center packaging piece 106 is formed from a top opening 502 a, 502 b, 502 c, and 502 d, that aligns with a corresponding bottom opening 504 a, 504 b, 504 c, and 504 d, respectively (collectively or generically, top opening 502 and bottom opening 504). The top openings 502 and/or bottom openings 504 may be sized to constrain movement of each inserted bottle 108, to prevent it from coming into contact with adjacent bottles 108. In the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 5, 6, 9, and 10, the top openings 502 and bottom openings 504 are each approximately the same size. The size is typically selected to accommodate the widest diameter bottle that is intended to be used with packaging system 100. However, the sizes of the top openings 502 may be of a different size from the bottom openings 504, as will be discussed below with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8. Moreover, the openings need not be circular; other shapes may be employed in some embodiments for one or both of the top openings 502 and bottom openings 504, as will be discussed below with respect to FIG. 8.

As will be discussed further below, center packaging piece 106 is formed by folding the unassembled sheet in upon itself with a series of approximately ninety degree bends, which aligns each top opening 502 with its bottom opening 504 to form the aperture. This further results in the formation of a plurality of vertical walls 508 (four, in the depicted embodiment). Center packaging piece 106 is retained upon itself by insertion of tabs (described below) into a plurality of corresponding slots 506 a and 506 b. As with top packaging piece 102 and bottom packaging piece 104, not all top and bottom openings or slots are numbered. The height of all vertical walls 508 in the disclosed embodiment are equal.

The height of the vertical walls 508 may be selected to achieve a target height for packaging system 100 when assembled with top packaging piece 102 and bottom packaging piece 104 surrounding center packaging piece 106. As will be understood by a person skilled in the art, the desired target height may depend upon the height of the bottles 108 to be inserted into packaging system 100. Moreover, the overall height of packaging system 100, and thus the height of bottles 108 to be inserted into packaging system 100, may be adjusted for a given combination of top packaging piece 102 and bottom packaging piece 104 by selection of different center packaging pieces 106 that have different heights of vertical walls 508. Thus, packaging system 100 may be used with bottles 108 of a wide variety of different heights by swapping between different center packaging pieces 106 with vertical walls 508 of an appropriate height.

As mentioned above, center packaging piece 106 may be constructed from cardboard. This cardboard may be of a multi-ply corrugated configuration, where a rippled sheet of paper is glued and sandwiched between a top and bottom sheet of paper. This configuration can be seen in detailed view from view 5D, which shows a cross-section of a corrugated cardboard wall. As seen, the center rippled sheet of paper essentially forms a plurality of ribs 510 that run in one direction. As will be understood by a person skilled in the relevant art, such an arrangement creates a strength axis that runs along the longitudinal axis of each of the ribs. Thus, the corrugated cardboard resists bending across the ribs/strength axis, but will more readily bend parallel to the strength axis/ribs. With respect to the center packaging piece 106, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the strength axis 512 is oriented to run perpendicular to the folds made to assemble the center packaging piece 106. Thus, the strength axis runs vertically on each of the plurality of vertical walls 508. In this orientation, each of the vertical walls 508 is strengthened against bending, and so is better able to transmit loads between the top packaging piece 102 and the bottom packaging piece 104.

FIG. 6 depicts center packaging piece 106 in an unassembled state. When unassembled, center packaging piece 106 is essentially a flat board, such as a flat cardboard sheet, and so takes up minimal space in shipping and/or storage. The various top openings 502 and bottom openings 504 are depicted, along with tabs 602 a, 602 b, 602 c (generically or collectively, tab 602; not all tabs are numbered), that insert into corresponding slots 604 a, 604 b, 604 c (generically or collectively, slot 604; not all slots are numbered). In the depicted embodiment, the number of tabs 602 equal the number of slots 604. Each tab 602 and slot 604 are sized and shaped so that tab 602 inserts relatively snugly into slot 604. Also depicted are fold or score lines 606 a, 606 b, 606 c, 606 d, 606 e, and 606 f (collectively or generically, fold line 606). As can be seen, the strength axis 512 (defined as the longitudinal axis of the corrugated ribs) is oriented perpendicular to the score lines 606. Each of the score lines 606, in such an embodiment, is die-cut or stamped across the ribs. As a result, in assembly the center packaging piece 106 will tend to “snap” as each fold is made, as the weakened ribs are overcome. Furthermore, by cutting or stamping across the ribs, each score line 606 helps ensure that folds are confined to the score lines 606, and do not otherwise inadvertently fold or otherwise compromise the integrity of the center packaging piece 106.

As will be understood, and with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the depicted embodiment of center packaging piece 106 is assembled from a flat configuration by folding the sheet in upon itself on each fold line ninety degrees to form the vertical walls 508, depicted in view 5C. Each tab 602 is inserted into slot 604 to secure the center packaging piece 106 in its assembled configuration. It will also be observed, from views 58 and 5C, that the middle row of apertures only is formed from a top opening 502, with no corresponding bottom opening 504.

As discussed above, the presence of a center packaging piece 106 helps allow packaging system 100 to be usable for shipping without requiring that all spaces within the packaging be filled. Although packaging system 100 is configured to accept twelve bottles 108, it should also be understood that packaging system 100 may be configured to accept any arbitrary number of bottles, such as by changing the dimensions, e.g. providing more or fewer rows that accept more or fewer bottles 108. In various embodiments, top packaging piece 102 and bottom packaging piece 104 are configured so that a given bottle 108 of a fixed size and similar type, e.g. a 750 ml wine bottle, will fit within packaging system 100 such that each packaging layer 102, 104, and 106 are each in contact with its adjoining piece (as depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B), and each inserted bottle 108 is held with limited movement within packaging system 100, so as to prevent each bottle 108 from contacting adjacent bottles 108. Each bottle 108 may be of a relatively different configuration, e.g. the bottle bottom may vary in diameter along with neck height and diameter, shoulder, etc., and so may vary in vertical position in response to interaction with the taper of the cavities 110 and 112 in the top and bottom packaging pieces 102, 104, respectively.

FIG. 7 depicts another possible embodiment of a center packaging piece 700, with differing hole sizes. Specifically, top hole 702 is of a narrower diameter than bottom hole 704. The narrower top hole 702 helps to constrain movement of bottles 108 that may have relatively slender necks, and would otherwise experience excessive movement with configurations where the top hole is identical in size to the bottom hole. Such a configuration, with a smaller top hole 702 and larger bottom hole 704, may be useful where the corresponding top packaging piece 102 is not sized or configured to sufficiently restrict the movement of each bottle 108, as center packaging piece 700 can provide the necessary restriction. In assembly of a packaging system 100 employing center packaging piece 700, bottles 108 would first be inserted into the bottom packaging piece 104, the center packaging piece 700 would next be placed over all bottles 108, followed by the top packaging piece 102. Thus, in such a configuration the bottom hole 704 is sized to accommodate a wider base and/or body of each bottle 108, while the top hole 702 is sized to accommodate a narrower neck or shoulder of each bottle 108. Center packaging piece 700 is otherwise constructed and assembled identically to center packaging piece 106.

FIG. 8 depicts a third possible embodiment of a center packaging piece 800, with holes configured with a star shape, rather than round. As can be seen in the depicted embodiment, top hole 802 and bottom hole 804 are essentially round, but with four inward-protruding flaps 806. The inward-protruding flaps 806 can bend upon insertion of a bottle 108 to roughly conform to the contours of the inserted bottle 108. These flaps thus can help further restrict movement of an inserted bottle 108, as well as help absorb energy from being transferred to each bottle 108 in the event of an impact. In some embodiments of center packaging piece 800, the overall diameter of each top hole 802 and bottom hole 804 is sized to accommodate the base or other largest portion of a bottle 108, with the flaps 806 helping to provide a centered and relatively snug fit for portions of bottles 108 that are of a smaller diameter. Thus, center packaging piece 800 may substantially offer the movement restricting benefits of the smaller top hole 702 of center packaging piece 700 (and its commensurate use with a variety of different embodiments of top packaging piece 102), with the flexibility to accommodate a mix of narrower- and wider-necked bottles 108 that would not otherwise be accommodated by a center packaging piece 700 with a fixed smaller top hole 702. As with center packaging piece 700, center packaging piece 800 is otherwise constructed and assembled identically to center packaging piece 106.

FIGS. 9 and 10 depict two example possible alternative implementations of center packaging piece 106, as mentioned above. Specifically, FIG. 9 depicts a 2 x 4 configuration. As can be seen, the vertical walls in the center of the center packaging piece essentially abut, rather than being spaced apart as in the depiction of center packaging piece 106 in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 10 depicts an alternative arrangement of the 3 x 4 configuration of center packaging piece 106, where the vertical walls are formed along each end column of three holes, rather than each outer row of four holes. In this arrangement, as can be seen, the inner vertical walls are spaced apart by two columns of three holes, rather than a single row of four holes.

FIG. 11 depicts an example alternative embodiment for top packaging piece 102. As may be seen, the corner absorbers 202 are shorter in height relative to the cavities, rather than being approximately equal in height. The reduced height may allow some degree of shock absorbing by an enclosing box before the shock forces are transferred to the contained packaging pieces.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the disclosed embodiments of the disclosed device and associated methods without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of the embodiments disclosed above provided that the modifications and variations come within the scope of any claims and their equivalents. 

1. A packaging system for a plurality of bottles, comprising: a top packaging piece comprised of a plurality of cavities and a plurality of shock absorbing features; a bottom packaging piece comprised of a plurality of cavities and a plurality of shock absorbing features; and a center packaging piece comprising a plurality of apertures, disposed between the top packaging piece and the bottom packaging piece, wherein: each cavity in the top packaging piece is tapered and sized to receive the neck of one of the plurality of bottles, each cavity in the bottom packaging piece is tapered and sized to receive the bottom of the one of the plurality of bottles, each aperture in the center packaging piece is sized to receive the one of the plurality of bottles, and the center packaging piece is formed from a flat sheet of material that is folded in upon itself.
 2. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bottles is a wine bottle.
 3. The packaging system of claim 1, wherein the top packaging piece and bottom packaging piece are each formed from molded paper fiber.
 4. The packaging system of claim 3, wherein the center packaging piece is formed from cardboard.
 5. The packaging system of claim 4, wherein at least one aperture of the center packaging piece is comprised of a top hole and a bottom hole, the bottom hole having a larger diameter than the top hole.
 6. The packaging system of claim 4, wherein each aperture of the center packaging piece has a plurality of protrusions directed radially inward from a rim of the aperture.
 7. The packaging system of claim 4, wherein the center packaging piece is formed by folding the cardboard upon itself in a plurality of ninety-degree bends, to form a plurality of vertical sidewalls.
 8. The packaging system of claim 7, wherein of each of the plurality of vertical sidewalls is of a common height selected to result in an overall height of the packaging system approximately equal with an inner height of a box to enclose the packaging system.
 9. The packaging system of claim 7, wherein the vertical sidewalls define a first plane having the plurality of apertures, and a plurality of second planes disposed distally from the first plane, each of the second planes having a subset of the plurality of apertures.
 10. The packaging system of claim 9, wherein the first plane is disposed upon the top packaging piece when the packaging system is assembled.
 11. The packaging system of claim 9, wherein the first plane is disposed upon the bottom packaging piece when the packaging system is assembled.
 12. A packaging piece, comprising a substantially flat sheet, wherein: the flat sheet defines a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region; the first region defines a first plurality of apertures; the third region defines a second plurality of apertures that correspond to at least a subset of the first plurality of apertures; and wherein, when a portion of the fourth region is secured to the first region, the second and fourth regions define sidewalls that are bounded by the first and third regions.
 13. The packaging piece of claim 12, wherein: the substantially flat sheet comprises corrugated cardboard, the corrugated cardboard comprises a plurality of ribs that define a strength axis, and the strength axis is oriented to run along the second and fourth regions between the first and third regions.
 14. The packaging piece of claim 13, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth regions are defined by a score line that runs across the strength axis.
 15. The packaging piece of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of apertures are smaller in diameter than the second plurality of apertures.
 16. The packaging piece of claim 12, wherein the first plurality of apertures are larger in diameter than the second plurality of apertures.
 17. The packaging piece of claim 12, wherein each of the first plurality of apertures is defined by a rim, and each of the first plurality of apertures further comprises a plurality of protrusions disposed on the rim and projecting radially inward into the aperture.
 18. The packaging piece of claim 12, wherein: the first region further comprises a plurality of slots; the fourth region comprises an edge with a plurality of protrusions, and wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is sized and disposed to fit within a corresponding one of the plurality of slots, and wherein the portion of the fourth region is secured to the first region by insertion of each of the plurality of protrusions into its corresponding one of the plurality of slots. 